You just spent a day/night in the ER room with your child. You’re tired and, most of all, very confused. You have no idea what is going to happen next. One of the first of many questions that goes through your head might be, “How will my child get better?”

Let’s explore some of the aspects involved in your child’s and your journey back to health by learning about the three components of behavioral health MiraCare provides and the purpose of each.

There are three distinct phases of treatment for your child:
SAFE, STABLE AND THRIVING

INPATIENT HOSPITAL CARE… Keeping Your Child SAFE

Your child is SAFE from harm to themselves while in our unit. We focus on helping them become safe when they leave our program. For many children and adolescents this means providing a comfortable and encouraging place to regain mental health, starting or adjusting medications and introducing therapies and mindful skill building that will help them once they leave the hospital.

PARTIAL HOSPITAL PROGRAM (PHP)… From Safe to STABLE

In a typical course of treatment, your child will leave the Inpatient unit and “step down” to our Partial Hospital Program (PHP), essentially going from 24-hour care to a two to three week stay in our PHP. This five day a week program supports the child and family in helping them to become STABLE. Going back to the same life stressors directly after leaving the Inpatient unit can lead your child to become unstable and often results in a quick return to the Inpatient unit. PHP ensures the child is stabilized as they return to everyday life.

OUTPATIENT TREATMENT… Healing, Getting Better & THRIVING

Once your child is stable, great work can be done in Outpatient care. This is where significant therapies and medication treatments take place. In the Outpatient setting, long-term treatment moves from stabilizing to maximizing your child’s mental health. This longer-term treatment can focus on Diagnostic Clarification (full psych testing), gaining the skills to manage the mental illness for the patient and parents and on building mental resiliency. At this level, we really focus on helping you and your child understand how to get back to THRIVING.

These three phases can overlap and some children/families move faster than others. But once your child has been in a hospital, you’re likely to be in need of a team that can treat them at all phases of the continuum of care. Unfortunately, there are too few providers in the field. MiraCare is proud to be the solution and resource our community has needed, providing a great team of providers ready to work with you to keep you and your child safe, stable and thriving.

To learn more about our treatment center and full continuum of care, call us at 708.726.MIRA.

Written by:
Christopher Higgins
President of MiraCare Group
Licensed Clinical Psychologist